THURSDAY www.thestatesman.com 17 MAY 2018 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 16+4|`3|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P7 SENSEX 35,387.88 -156.06 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Rain/thundershowers with strong gusty winds towards evening/night. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 41 and 26 degrees Celsius respectively. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 67% Min. 23% TEMPERATURE Max: 40.2°C (0) SUN RISES 05:29 hrs MOON RISES 08.08 hrs Min: 25°C (-1) SUN SETS 19:06 hrs MOON SETS 21:09 hrs THUMBNAILS Rescue workers of the NDRF look for survivors after a boat capsized due to heavy storm winds in Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. At least 12 people died in the boat capsize with searches continuing Wednesday for ten other AFP missing passengers feared drowned. Collegium again defers decision on Justice Joseph's elevation: The Supreme Court Collegium Wednesday again deferred its decision on the issue of recommending Uttarakhand Chief Justice K M Joseph for elevation to the top court after it was returned by the Centre. An apex court official said no decision has been taken as to when the recommendation P5 will be sent to the Centre. SC asks JAL to deposit Rs 1000 crore by 15 June: The SC directed Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) to deposit Rs 1,000 crore, in addition to Rs 750 crore already deposited, by June 15 to provide refunds to home buyers. On submission of the amount, the liquidation proceedings against Jaypee remain stayed. P12 NIFTY 10,741.10 -60.75 ` vs $ 67.80 +27 PAISE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BENGALURURU, 16 MAY JDS leader and former chief minister, Mr H D Kumaraswamy, today charged the BJP under Narendra Modi government with seeking to induce his MLAs with sums exceeding Rs 100 crore in addition to promising cabinet berths in the council of ministers in Delhi, if only to defect or desert their parent party. He even warned that if the BJP continues its attempts, then the JDS too would be forced to poach its MLAs. The charge follows the desperate attempts being made by BJP and the Congress-JDS combine to stake a claim to government formation in the state. Karnataka witnessed a hung assembly following the declaration of election results yesterday with the BJP becoming the single largest party at 104, though without getting the required numbers to form a majority government. The Congress which lost power was reduced to 78 with the JDS accounting for another 37 in a 222 -member assembly,polls for which were held on 12 May. The JDS leader, who is the chief ministerial candidate of the Congress-JDS combine, told newsmen here that PRESS TRUST OF INDIA VARANASI/ LUCKNOW, 16 MAY The state government said today that 15 people were killed. Officials yesterday had put the toll at 18. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, visited Varanasi late last night and met the injured. Apart from the high-level probe announced by Adityanath yesterday, a magisterial inquiry has also begun. Additional District Magistrate Manoj Kumar Rai will submit his report within three days. The FIR has been lodged against UP State Bridge Corporation officers, engineers and contractors for negligence. H.D. Kumaraswamy gestures after he was nominated the Janata Dal (Secular) Legislative Party Leader at a JDLP meeting in Bangalore on WednesAFP day. democracy under the BJP rule was threatened by the party's infamous "Operation Lotus, "under which the saffron party had ,even in 2008, managed to sway several Independents and other party's MLAs to defect , to help it get a majority in the state assembly. Today ,where is " this money coming from?Where are the income tax officials?, " he queried. Accusing the BJP of indulging in brazen horse trading ,he wanted to know how the party could offer such huge amounts .“The Prime Minister promised to eradicate black money from country," and yet the party is offering inducements of over Rs 100 crore to law makers!!" Repeatedly asserting that the JDS was WB Panchayat results today KOLKATA, 16 MAY Repolling in 572 panchayat booths in 19 districts was held today amidst allegations of violence and intimidation by ruling party cadres during the 14 May Bengal rural poll. Counting of votes will begin at 8 am tomorrow. Sixty eight percent polling was reported till 5 pm in the 572 booths. Repolling was held in 10 booths in Hooghly, 28 booths inWest Midnapore, 52 booths in Cooch Behar, 63 booths in Murshidabad, 60 booths in Nadia, 59 booths in North 24 Parganas, 55 booths in Malda, 73 booths in Uttar Dinajpur and 26 in South 24 Parganas among others. In order to prevent rerun of the violence on the polling day the SEC has arranged three-tier security arrangements in 291 counting centres across the state SNS tomorrow. GOLD 29,870.00 -375.00 not going out to grab power, he explained the current combine was to keep the secular traditions of the country in tact, more so as several national parties had also urged him to ensure that . Referring to 2006 when he had joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition government,which subsequently collapsed, he said " his decision to go with the BJP had hurt his father, something that still wrankled him even today. Therefore, he said that even though feelers were coming from the BJP he did not , want to repeat the mistake. Aware that he was getting a chance to be chief minister of a state whose electorate had not voted for him, he said it was painful thought as even though the five crore people of the state had not voted for him,he was getting a chance to head the state government. While he and his party were not desperate to grab power, he said it was the BJP which was hungering for it, even though it did not have the required majority. Likewise, the JDS leader asserted that he did not believe that the secular identity of the country was threatened. At the same time, he explained that he had agreed to lead the combine. NEW DELHI, 16 MAY Karnataka, which is facing political uncertainty, today made a failed bid to temporarily stall the finalisation of draft Cauvery management scheme, telling the Supreme Court that it could not give any suggestion as the process of government formation was on in the state. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also asked the Centre, represented by Attorney General K KVenugopal, to “rectify” and “modify” certain provision of the draft scheme that authorises the Centre to issue directions“from time to time” on Cauvery water distribution between the four southern riparian states of Karnataka,Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry . The bench made it clear that the provision empowering the Centre to issue directions was “not in consonance with the judgement”. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, rejected Karnataka's submission that the draft scheme be finalised in the first week of July so that it will have the assistance and instructions from the elected government. “Neither of the four states has any role in framing of the scheme.We had asked the Centre to formulate the draft scheme,” the top court said. It then took note of the submission of Tamil Nadu government, highlighting certain provisions of the draft scheme including that the Centre was keeping the power to issue directions from time to time. “All that they (committee or authority) have to see the availability of water. The Centre is creating some room for further adjudication. This is the worry. I am in the hands of the Lordships,” senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu, said. To this, the bench said “this part (power of Centre to issue directions) is not in consonance with the judgement. We make it clear to you (Centre).” It then asked the Centre to modify the provision of the scheme and submit them for approval tomorrow, while making it clear that the scheme has Amid midnight drama, SC hears Cong plea against Yeddy's swearing-in as CM AGENCIES NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, 16 MAY A mid intense jockeying for power and allegations of horse-trading, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala today invited the BJP's B SYeddyurappa to form the government in the state, prompting the Congress to move the Supreme Court late tonightaccusingthegovernor of acting as a "stooge" of the saffron party. "I invite you (Yeddyurappa) to form the government and be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka," a Raj Bhavan communique said after day-long politicking that saw claims and counter claims of support of MLAs. Vala also asked 75-year-old Yeddyurappa to seek a vote of confidence within 15 days of assuming office as the Chief Minister. BJP general secretary Muralidhar Rao said Yeddyurappa will take oath in Bengaluru tomorrow at 9 am. The Congress, which termed the Governor's decision an "encounter of the Constitution", urged Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra to hold an urgent hearing tonight itself since Yeddyurappa is slated to take oath as CM tomorrow morning. The apex court agreed to hear at 1:45 am the petition filed by the Congress chal- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 MAY to ensure compliance of its February 16 judgement only. Venugopal said the Centre has been facing a dilemma whether to call the supervising body “a Board, an Authority or a Committee” and urged that the court to decide this aspect. At the outset, Divan urged that the draft Cauvery scheme should not be finalised as the process of government formation was on and the state has a right to put forth its suggestions like Tamil Nadu and oth- BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 77.74 -0.69 Governor invites BJP to form govt in K’taka A vehicle depicting the current political scenario in the state passes by in front of Raj AFP Bhavan in Bengaluru on Wednesday. lenging Karnataka Governor's decision to invite the BJP to form the government. The CJI constituted a Bench comprising Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan to hear the matter in court number six. The petition sought a stay on the oath-taking ceremony, as communicated by the Governor to Yeddyurappa. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, who has support from the Congress for chief ministership, accused the BJP of luring his MLAs with Rs 100 crore bait, whiletheCongress'soutgoing CM Siddaramaiah alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was encouraging "horse-trading" to ensure the BJP returns to power in the time.” The police might ask Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also to join the investigation later. Last month, Kejriwal's private secretary Bibhav Kumar was reportedly questioned in connection with the case. Prakash had alleged that he was assaulted during a meeting at Kejriwal's official residence on 19 February by two AAP MLAs in the presence of the CM. These two MLAs, Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, were later arrested. Delhi Police have already questioned the 11 AAP MLAs, who were present at the CM's residence for that meeting when the CS was allegedly assulted. Sisodia was also present there. The alleged assault on the CS triggered a bitter confrontation between the Delhi government and its bureaucracy. AAP spokesman Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Delhi Police's notice to Kejriwal proved that PM Modi was “misusing agencies” to target his opponents. “Petty politics of Modi ji is now crossing all limits and is becoming increasingly vicious. Till this date Arvind Kejriwal has been harassed by police and CBI raids. Ministers like Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain have been defamed by false cases. MLAs were troubled by fabricated cases,” he alleged. “In India's democratic history, this is for the first time a CM is being questioned by police in a false case,” Bharadwaj said, SC rejects KTK’s plea against finalisation of Cauvery scheme SNS & PTI P15 SILVER 39,700.00 -300.00 Delhi police asks Kejriwal to join chief secretary assault probe Delhi Police on Wednesday sent a notice to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to join the probe in the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case, drawing fire from the ruling AAP which alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “misusing” the police to “harass” the CM. Crying foul over Delhi Police's notice to the CM, the AAP described it as yet another attempt by the BJPruled Centre to target its leaders. The notice issued by the police to the CM reportedly stated, “You (Kejriwal) are required to attend investigation and be available at your residence/office on May 18 at 11 am. In the event, such timing is not convenient to you due to official exigencies, kindly intimate an alternate VANDANA’S BRACE GUIDES INDIA TO 3-1 WIN OVER CHINA P13 BJP offered `100 crore to JD-S MLAs, claims Kumaraswamy Flyover collapse: FIR filed for ‘negligence’ The police have registered an FIR over yesterday's flyover collapse against officials of the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Ltd, a government-run entity that has faced criticism also in the past over the standard of its work. The corporation received flak earlier after some bridges built by it developed cracks. There has also been controversy over managing director Rajan Mittal, who was removed from the post by the previous Samajwadi party government but reinstated after the BJP came to power in the state. The FIR was lodged at a police station here a day after a portion of the flyover being built by the corporation fell on passing vehicles. BANGLA SC GRANTS BAIL TO ZIA IN GRAFT CASE ANWAR FREED, GIVEN ROYAL PARDON ‘GOVT TO SHORTLY COME OUT WITH DRONE POLICY’ ers to the scheme. “I am not making an unreasonable request.This (scheme) is going to deal with Cauvery water distribution for next 15 years. I do not have assistance and instruction from the council of Ministers,” the senior lawyer said. “There is always a government. The Constitution does not contemplate a vacuum. If it goes to July then Tamil Nadu will not be getting water in June,” the counsel for Tamil Nadu replied. At the fag end of the hearing, the court rejected Kerala's submission that it would be getting four per cent of Cauvery water and will have to pay 15 per cent for maintenance and other expenses. Earlier, the Centre had submitted the draft Cauvery management scheme in the court for its approval. The apex court, in its verdict delivered on February 16, had asked the Centre to frame the Cauvery management scheme, which also included creating the Cauvery Managament Board, within six weeks for release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The Scheme, once finalised, would deal with the issue of water share of the four states in different circumstances like normal and deficient water years in the Cauvery river basin. The top court had modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007 and made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground. It had raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal”. state despite falling short of a majority. The Congress also slammed Vala, with the party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala dubbing him a "stooge" of the BJP and accusing him of “encountering” the Constitution at the behest of PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. The BJP however, assert, ed that it would prove its majority in the assembly and dubbed the CongressJDS post-election alliance "unholy and unacceptable." The BJP national general secretary Rao said the understanding between the Congress and JD(S) was only "to keep the BJP off." Kumaraswamy slammed Vala's invite to Yeddyurap- pa and accused the Modi government of misusing Constitutional institutions. "We will not let it go easily...", a furious Kumaraswamy told reporters here shortly after the governor wrote to Yeddyurappa asking him to take oath. Kumaraswamy said the Governor should have given three or four days time for Yeddyurappa to prove his majority. "He (Yeddyurappa) has no majority," he said. Yeddyurappa and Kumaraswamy, the leader of the newly formed JD(S)-Congress alliance, had earlier met GovernorVala and staked claim to form the government. Editorial: Mandate for none, Page 8 Centre calls conditional halt to security ops in J&K during Ramzan STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 MAY Responding to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s request for a unilateral ceasefire by Central security forces in the state during the holy month of Ramzan, the Centre on Wednesday asked the Army and security forces not to launch operations during the month to help people observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment. The security forces, however, reserve the right to retaliate and take appropriate defensive action against any terror activity to protect the lives of innocent people and maintain peace, the government said. The Centre’s decision has been conveyed to the chief minister by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The holy month of Ramzan begins on Thursday. In a statement, the Home Minister said Ramzan was observed with religious devotion all over the world. It was a matter of grief that for some years, terrorists had indulged in bloodshed not just in India, but in several parts of the world also. This brought misery to peaceful followers of Islam and other communities. Singh said Ramzan is a month of prayers and peace. “It is important to isolate the forces that bring a bad name to Islam by resorting to mindless violence and terror,” he said in a tweet. Efforts should be made jointly to bring back into the mainstream the misguided people, he said. The Home Minister said, “Security Forces reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people. Government expects everyone to cooperate in this initiative and help the Muslim brothers & sisters to observe Ramzan peacefully and without any difficulties.” SNS adds from Jammu: An Independent MLA, Engineer Rashid, in his response to the centre's ceasefire said that "by announcing unilateral ceasefire Delhi has accepted that militants are not terrorists and eliminating them makes militants more powerful". Engineer Rashid, who is considered as pro-Pakistan and supporter of terrorists, had during the recent all party meeting convened by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti raised the demand for unilateral ceasefire during the holy month of Ramzan. SNS adds from Kolkata: The fastings of the holy month of Ramadan will begin from Thursday, as was announced by authorities of various mosques unanimously today. The moon was sighted in many states including West Bengal, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar. The moon sighting committee met today, after the Maghrib (evening) prayer to announce the date for the commencement of Ramadan and declared Thursday as the first day of Ramadan.